The airline was also ordered to replace a passenger’s damaged bag and pay $170 first-need compensation under Nigeria’s passenger protection regulations.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has fined RwandAir N15 million for failing to resolve a passenger’s baggage complaint within the stipulated timeframe.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, disclosed the sanction on Friday.
“The NCAA has sanctioned Rwand Air for consumer protection-related infractions,” Mr Achimugu wrote in a post on X.
He said the fine was imposed over the airline’s failure to resolve the baggage issue within the required timeframe.
The additional compensation and replacement order were made under Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2023, which sets out protections for air passengers, including provisions on baggage.
Under Part 19, passengers on international flights whose baggage is delayed are entitled to $170 in first-need compensation to cover immediate necessities while they wait for their luggage. The regulations also provide for compensation where baggage is lost or damaged under circumstances attributable to the airline.
The NCAA says airlines operating in Nigeria are required to comply with the consumer protection provisions, while passengers can escalate unresolved complaints to the authority’s Consumer Protection Department.
The latest sanction comes as the NCAA continues efforts to strengthen the handling and tracking of passengers’ baggage.
In August, the authority announced plans to introduce Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology across domestic and international terminals to improve the tracking of checked luggage and reduce cases of missing and misrouted baggage.
